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DIY This Festive Mermaid Mani

When we meet a fellow beauty obsessive, the bond is instant. One perusal of Lauren Berkovitz's Lauren B line of couture nail polishes was all it took for us to recognize a fellow mermaid: With shades like Santa Monica Surf, Catalina Cruise and Zuma Beach Bum, Berkovitz has created the ultimate bikini-ready collection of varnishes. Creating custom nail looks is where Lauren B really shines, which is why we asked her to create a bespoke Mermaid Manicure for the holidays. This sparkly combo of gorgeous deep-sea hues is set off with a finishing touch of chunky, sparkly glitter—creating the ultimate mermaid mood. Your holiday look? It just got a whole lot more festive.

Here are tips from Lauren B herself on perfecting this look at home.

Step 1: Make sure to apply a good base coat, (Lauren B. recommends her Nail Perfecter.) Most people don’t realize the importance of a good base coat until it’s too late. Don’t make that mistake!

Step 2: Apply base color coat to all nails and then repeat with a second coat. Please allow 3 min dry time. (Here we used Santa Monica Shutters as our base)

Step 3: Grab your vibrant mermaid-like nail colors; here we used Lauren B’s teal Ivy at the Shore, iris Hancock Park, periwinkle Ocean Ave, and seafoam Santa Barbara Surf. Make sure to take as much polish off of the brush before applying the brush to the nail. (HINT: Small quick brush strokes are key when creating this look.)

Step 4: Once you have let that dry for about two minutes you’re ready for some glitter! (Here we used Lauren B.’s 33 Carats). This part is super easy and gives your mermaid manicure a little something extra. When applying glitter to the nail, make sure the brush isn’t drenched with polish otherwise it could end up too thick. Apply the polish to the tip of the nail and slowly bring some of the glitter down towards the cuticle. Repeat once more for the perfect glitter gradient.

Step 5: Let your manicure dry completely, then apply a thick top coat. A thicker gel topcoat is best for this look—it will not only lock in your manicure for up to 2 weeks, but the consistency is thicker and will not make your freshly painted lines bleed or run into each other.

A bikini, a passport, and a healthy dose of wanderlust. That's us: your go-to beach lifestyle gurus for all things style, beauty, health, love, and travel. When we're not giving you the dish or curating the chicest swimwear you'll find online, you can find us at the beach. See you in the waves, babes! XOXO, Bikini.com girls